


Path Untaken

by opalmatrix



Category: Alliance-Union - C. J. Cherryh
Genre: Ethics, Gen, Growing Up, Political Expediency, Regret
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-05
Updated: 2013-01-05
Packaged: 2017-11-23 20:02:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/626000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opalmatrix/pseuds/opalmatrix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not that Ari never questions the facts of life on Cyteen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Path Untaken

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yhlee (etothey)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/etothey/gifts).



> For yhlee's Fandom Stocking. Prompt (from [The Almost Totally Random Writing Exercise Generator](http://panthermoon.com/generators/generator5.php)): "A Building Doorman - will you, would you, could you... ." No Beta.

A return to Strassenburg from a session at Reseune already had the feeling of coming home. Ari smiled at the guards on duty at the main door. _Jace GJ 422 and Efa GE 3211_ , she thought. They each gave her a little bow, quite proper and stiff. Jace was brunet and ruddy; Efa had cropped black hair and skin almost as dark. Just another competent pair from Reseune Security, thoroughly vetted by Catlin and Florian, born of known gene types proven over decades, in Resune's birthlabs. Predictable, known factors, comfortingly familiar.

Just before she passed through the inner doors, Floran and Catlin on her heels, she happened to look back. Jace was once more in complete security azi mode, his attention on the outer doors. But Efa was looking at Ari, her expression momentarily curious. Their eyes met, and Ari suddenly thought of a dozen other things that Efa might be able to do, given her genetic profile: an athlete, a planetary explorer, a builder, a mechanic, a legal clerk, a data system technician, a hospital nurse, a shopkeeper ... .

_Will you, would you, could you...?_

There was no need to ask. Efa's gaze was calm, content, focused. She knew who she was and what she was doing. Ari nodded to her, approvingly, and turned away.

Efa would not, could not take those paths, and Ari could not afford regrets.

 


End file.
